When John and Sheila Spence built their 2,800-square-foot craftsman-style home eight years ago in the Steeplechase Farms neighborhood in Newberry, they built the home that met their needs at the time. In the past year, they teamed up with Quality DesignWorks, a design/build firm, and the home underwent an expansion and renovation. The updates not only made the spacious residence more tailored to the couple’s current lifestyle but, in Sheila’s words, “completed a lot of nice touches that make the home so much more livable.”
The Quality DesignWorks design team of Heather Nazworth and Bob Amar got to work on the large-scale project, which included an interior and exterior paint refresh, dining room expansion, conversion of several appliances to gas, master bedroom lighting update, master bathroom and closet renovation and expansion, upstairs bonus space conversion to usable space, and garage door replacement and expansion.
As with all of its projects, Quality DesignWorks makes it a priority for clients to maintain their lifestyles while renovating their homes. “This was a lengthy project, but we take pride in our clientele being able to live at home during their remodel. The Spences were able to do just that,” Heather said. Sheila seconded the notion, saying, “We were able to live (at home) comfortably while all this work was going on, and it never felt inconvenient. They were incredibly careful to keep everything neat and clean while they did the work.”
The Spence’s original dining room had a simple tray ceiling, a table with seating for six, one chandelier and blinds on the window. The updated version doubled the square footage of the room, and now boasts coffered ceilings with twin chandeliers, two windows with plantation shutters, accent hardwood floors, custom buffet furniture and a dining table that comfortably seats twelve. Sheila was quick to share how intimidating this part of the project was: “We had alcove space outside of our home, and we knew we wanted to expand the dining room because we use it to entertain often. I did not realize the expansion would require replacing the current trusses and adjusting the roof line, but Quality DesignWorks engineered it perfectly and kept the lines of the front of the house perfectly balanced. We now have a much larger area to enjoy our guests. The end result allows us to comfortably entertain more people, something that we love to do.”
According to Bob, “The Spence project was a major collaboration on everyone’s part. The sheer scope of this project was astounding — blowing out walls, expanding the dining room to make more space — (it) was day-in and day-out more extreme than your average remodeling project.” Heather quickly added how rewarding it was to work with the Spences and impact the quality of their lives —“That’s what makes our work so fun,” she said, “seeing the happiness it brings to our clients.”
The completed master bathroom update and expansion doubled the size of the space and includes a new steam shower, travertine tile flooring, custom wood cabinetry, exquisite wall tile work including custom cut granite backsplashes. A flat screen television was also added, as were custom mirrors built into the bathroom cabinetry.
The master closet expansion includes an addition of accent hardwood floors, custom shelving for additional storage, laundry and dry-cleaning bins and a peninsula for John’s suitcase. “I’m so pleased with how well thought-out the entire project was,” Sheila said. “All of the details they addressed and the solutions they brought to the table were amazing. John travels constantly and needs to be able to unpack and repack his suitcase easily, without it being in the way. When Heather and Bob heard this, they came up with the closet peninsula idea that makes the packing and unpacking process seamless for John.”
The previously under-utilized upstairs bonus space was also transformed, complete with new flooring, furniture, a bathroom update, relocated attic door, and the addition of three closets to be used for hobbies, wine and clothing storage. With the help of Quality DesignWorks and ingenuity of our friend, Noah LaBelle, we were able to create another unique spot in our home that is completely tailored to our needs,” Sheila said. “We now have a place for relaxation and hobbies and gained valuable storage space too.”
The success of the project at the Spence home is a testament to Quality DesignWorks’ attention to detail, willingness to listen to client needs and design talent. When paired with the Spence’s desire to customize their house and take the time to do it right, the end result was a beautiful, gracious home with amazingly tailored details.
